Meetings
by Scarabbug
Summary: A first meeting of Cadet and Senior doesn’t go as well as it could have, and they meet without even seeing each others faces. This isn’t a good combination. All dialogue story. Unbetaed.


I actually set something like this as a challenge on the Ace Lightning message board and decided to have a go at it myself. It's a story created entirely with dialogue and no other actions or description. It's just some of my thoughts on how Sparx and Random could have met.

Is Un-betaéd as my dear Beta reader **Sarah Frost** is still in a busy phase. (Don't complain, Sarah, I'm not going to turn into a hypocrite by loading too much work on you :P) so please pardon any grammar errors and spelling.

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Meetings.

Scarab Dynasty.

_'I'm sure you'll do fine once you've worked your away around the controls. Lectra will be close by to keep you in check. Just press your panic button if you feel like you need her. This is your first time on Watcher-duty, am I correct?'_

'Um… yeah… yeah it is. Hey what does this button—'

_'DON'T touch that! There. Okay. That's better.'_

'What? What did I almost do?'

Oh she is going to be a right one, isn't she? _'Nothing you need to know about at this stage, Cadet, just focus on the situation.' _

'Uhuh. Sure.'

_'Now, you're going to be acting as Watcher for a single-man mission. We have a senior member of the team currently on Minion watch in the Spider Caverns of the Aftershock Mountain. You'll be viewing his progress via his Iris-Cam and keeping him updated using your digital surveillance map, so make sure he doesn't get lost. We've lost several men in those caves already, anymore and they'll start pulling the plug on the Academy insurance funding.'_

'Uhuh, that'd be a bummer…'

_'Yes, which is why I'd like you to help keep this guy alive down there…'_

'I sit here in front of the control panel, right?'

_'Yes. Now, we also have his signal transmitting on… are you paying attention to me, cadet?'_

'What? Oh… yeah sure. Hearing every word.'

_'You'd better be, because there's a man relying on you to watch his progress at all time down there. Any loss of focus is going to deduct from your grade average and quite possibly his life expectancy.'_

'No sweat, spider caverns aren't that dangerous. Just a drill, right?'

_'It could easily be the real thing, Cadet. How you perform in this drill with reflect on your target grade. If you can't keep a decent check on this guy in a practise drill then I wouldn't trust you to watch my back in a real incident.'_

'Sure, sure… So I just talk into the microphone, right?'

_'Yes, and make sure you keep monitoring and relaying him his stats at all times.'_

'You gotcha.'

_'…Right. Well, then, you should introduce yourself to your first charge when I've left the room. Just tap into the microphone and begin your first transmission, remember what I said – get into trouble, press the panic button and relay it to Lectra, she'll handle the rest of the emergency procedures. Think you can handle it?'_

'Sure, sure…'

_'Ac-hem…'_

'Um, I mean, yes captain. You can go back to active duty now, sir I'm all over it.'

_'Fine. Carry on, Cadet.'_

'Sheesh, he didn't have to bang the door like that. Right… okay, I know I have those notes written down here somewhe—'

_**'Knight Virus calling Academy Base twenty-three, come in base twenty-three.'**_

'Yah!'

'_**Hello? Come in, Techna? Are you receiving?' **_

_Damn, that must be my charge… how does this microphone work again? _'Uh… uh… yes. I mean no. I mean I…

I mean, this is Cadet One-Five-Two reading you loud and clear, senior. Can you just… you know, hold your position and stuff while I um… log your coordinates?' _Hey, that wasn't so hard… _

'_**Oh, of course, you'll be the new training recruit?'**_

'Uhuh. I mean, yes sir, that's me.'

'**Fine. I was hoping to talk to Techna…' **

_Techna? Isn't she that bimbo from dorm sixteen who took my flight manual and never gave it back? _'Sorry, man, looks like you're stuck with me.'

_**'No need to sound so happy about it, Cadet. What's your name?'**_

'…Do I have to give you it in _full_?'

**_'That's the usual protocol.'_**

'Oh. It's just that… I kinda sorta…hate it.'

_**'The protocol? Everyone hates the protocol—'**_

'No, I mean my name. My real one. Okay I'm s'posed to guide you down this tunnel thingy and past a bunch of nests. Keep going on the south east past at ninety… no wait, eighty… Um… Oh to heck, just turn to your left and you'll find a forked pathway. The left route leads to some kind of blockage, best take the right path, man.'

_**'Glad to see you studied your coordinate books before you got here…'**_

'Hey, it'll get you where you wanna go, won't it?'

_**'That's debatable. And don't forget who you're talking to here, Cadet, it's "senior" not "man". And do I have to order you to tell me your own name?'**_

_Well it's not like you can do anything, I mean you're fifty miles away in an underground cavern network. _'Okay, okay… it's Amandine.'

_**'…Amandine?'**_

'Yeah, yeah. Don't laugh, I know it sucks. Nobody ever calls me that now.'

_**'Well, whatever you want to be called is fine by me.'**_

'Yeah. That'll do. Folks call me Sparx.'

_**'Sparx?'**_

'What're you laughing at?'

**_'Nothing, nothing.'_**

'Don't push it, Lugnutt.'

_**'And don't forget you're talking to a senior, Cadet. Show some decorum.'**_

'I _am_ showing decorum!'

**_'What's wrong with Amandine anyway?'_**

'Huh. What's RIGHT with it? What's wrong with Sparx?'

_**'Nothing, I like it. It's better than Amandine.'**_

'ANYTHING'S better than Amandine…' _S'cept maybe Virus. _

_**'Except Random Virus, of course?'**_

_Damn, how'd he know I was thinking that?_

'…Is that really your name?'

_**'It's really my name. Is Amandine really yours?'**_

'Yeah, unfortunately…. Virus is weird. Sounds more like something you'd call one of Fear's stand up goons.'

_**'Oh, how charming. Says the girl whose name sounds like something you'd call a pet Lightning Mole…'**_

'Hey!'

**_'Tell you what, Cadet: you don't call me Lugnutt and try to show some respect to a senior Knight, and I'll try not to call you Amandine. Now which route should I be taking here?'_**

'Sounds fair… So, anyway, I think I'm supposed to ask you for your current power readings and coordinates to check they match up to the maps I have or… something.

Oh, and um, go… _right_. Yeah, right looks good.'

**_'LOOKS good?' _**

****

'That's what I said, isn't it? So what're these coordinates?'

_**'O-kay… Well, I'm about three miles into the caverns and should be somewhere under the peaks about now. So far no sign of any bad guys… or spiders, for that matter. I've been travelling uphill for fifty metres. Coordinates one-seven-two, three-three-nine… **_

_**Wait…' **_

'What is it?'

**_'There's something down here.'_**

'You… you're right, I'm picking up another signal twenty metres ahead. Maybe you should make a detour?'

_**'I would if there was a detour to take. This is a one-way tunnel. **_

_**I hate this duty…' **_

'Join the club, man.'

_**'What the— Damn! what was that?' **_

'What was what? Hey, you just ran right into that… that _thing_ on the radar!'

_**'Oh really? I hadn't noticed!'**_

'Is it a spider? No; that makes no sense. You're like, half a mile from the nearest nest. It can't be…'

_**'Not it, Cadet: who, looks like there's a minion down here.'**_

'What? Well… well get after the freak, he must be one of their lot!'

_**'She. It was some kind of humanoid female. Vampyric type, sentient-undead class, probably working for Fear. And what do you think I'm doing? Standing here and watching her make her getaway?'**_

'Go faster, then, you're losing sight of her!.'

_**'This is the fastest the protective suits allow you to go, Knight!'**_

'Okay, okay. Sheesh, don't have a power surge. Um… your signals heading into a series of small caverns there's… there's some kind of flowing… pathway beneath you.'

_**'Magma streams, I know, I'm steering clear of them. Where is she? I've lost the signal!'**_

'I'm looking, I'm looking! Um, the third tunnel on your left, watch out for the unsteady roc around that area. Look I think you're coming up to a dead end…'

_**'I've got it… yeah that's one of Fear's freaks alright.'**_

'So catch her already!'

**_'Easy, Cadet, she's not going anywhere._**

**_'Watch it lady… just keep calm, come with me, I'm not going to hurt you.'_**

_Why the hell not? Blast her, Random, destroy the freak._

'What're you waiting for, Shoot!'

**_'No.'_**

'No? Why the heck not!'

_**'Because she hasn't shot at me, I've no reason to hurt her.'**_

'Oh for crying out… Random, she's the enemy!'

_**'Yes, but she's not attacking me.**_

_**Easy, lady, easy. You're not in any danger from me. I just need to ask you some questions. Wait, what're you—'**_

'Random? Can you get closer, I can't make out her face, this stupid camera's on the blink… Random?'

_**'Oh, no…'**_

'Random, what is it? What's going on? Random? RANDOM?

Damn it, damn it, damn it, stupid signal where'd you go? Random!'

_**'…S… Sparx?'**_

'Random, is that you?'

_**'No it's… Lord Fear, who do you THINK it is, Cadet?'**_

'Oh, right… phew, for a second there I thought… W-where are you? I can't see anything, your eye-cam's gone all dark.

_**'Given what just happened, that makes sense…'**_

'Uh… WHAT just happened? Okay, okay I've got your signal back… You're okay now.'

_**'That… depends on your definition of "okay".'**_

'What happened? Where are you?'

'**_Still in the cave, Cadet…_**'

'Oh, right.'

_**'…With what feels like half of it on top of me.'**_

'…Damn.'

_**'Yeah, that's the word I was thinking of. This could explain why you can't see any… argh!'**_

'Random? Are you hurt?'

_**'No… yes.'**_

'Which one?'

**_'I can't move.'_**

'…We've gotta get you out of there.'

_**'I agree, you're sending out an emergency signal, I hope?'**_

'Um… yeah… yeah I'm on it. Lectra just went for back up. What about the Minion? The woman you were chasing?'

_**'I don't know. I… I think she was in here with me when it caved. I can't see much either.'**_

'Yeah and I can't see her on the map… You got an emergency light on you or something?'

_**'Yeah.'**_

'Can you get to it? Some light's better than none at all.'

_**'I… I can't reach. My arm's stuck under rock. Or some ice. Can't tell which. Thank Zoar for the armour inside these isolation suits… don't think I'll be complaining about the lack of comfort ever again.'**_

'Uh… Ice?'

'**_I'm in a cavern running under the peaks of a MOUNTAIN, cadet, there's going to be ice._**'

'Yeah but ten minutes ago we were talking about lava… oh forget it. Okay… okay um… I think there's a light switch for your isolation-suit on this panel somewhere. Maybe I can turn it on for you.'

_**'Yeah… Fire away.'**_

'Um, okay…'

_**'Ow!'**_

'What? What did I do? I didn't push anything, I swear!

'**_Nothing… nothing it was me. I tried to move too fast. Holy Zoar that hurts…'_**

'Well don't move, you're not supposed to move when you're stuck in an avalanche!'

_**'Now you're actually thinking like a Watchman, Cadet.'**_

'Um, thanks. I think… There, I think I found the right switch.'

_**'Good, then throw some light on this mess already.'**_

'Um… okay.'

…

**_… 'Oh, Zoar.'_**

'Whoa. I… I think she's dead.'

_**'I think so too. Can you turn the light back off, please?… Thanks.'**_

'There's one freak who won't be coming in for questioning.'

'…_**She did it.'**_

'Did what?'

**_'The maniac… she drew her gun and shot at the roof. She brought the damn cave in on us. It was suicide!'_**

'Guess she thought that was a better option than getting caught…'

_**'Are you alright?'**_

'Yeah… yeah why wouldn't I be?'

_**'Well you did just see a dead body.'**_

'Heh, can't complain I've seen worse. Besides, you're the one stuck in a cave with it.'

_**'Thank you for reminding me… where's that damn search team?'**_

'Relax, they're on it. They'll have you out of there faster than you can say "Power up".'

**_'Power up.'_**

'Not _really_! The team's coming and I'm supposed to be monitoring your power-vitals or… something.'

_**'You really don't know what you're doing in there, do you?' **_

'I do so! Look, just stay there, alright?'

_**'As if I have a choice… ah, damn it!'**_

'Random?'

_**'I'm… fine! What about family?'**_

'Huh?'

_**'I mean you, do you have any family?' **_

'No. Well, yeah… Not that I can stand them.'

_**'..You can't mean that.'**_

'Why not?'

_**'But they're your family.'**_

'Yeah, the family who'd rather I spent my whole life sitting in some munitions factory or… or working in a Tavern instead of being out there and doing something useful.'

_**'They don't want you to be a Knight?'**_

'Actually I dunno WHAT they want. I haven't spoken to them in a while…

_**'Oh.'**_

…

'Um… look shouldn't we be… you know, talking about stats and stuff instead of—'

_**'No.'**_

'But—'

_**'Cadet, I'm lying in a cave buried in rock and snow with an explosive that could detonate any second and a corpse. For Zoar's sakes, give me something else to think about!'**_

'Okay, okay… I'm trying. I never had to talk to a guy buried under an avalanche before.'

…

'So… what's with you and Techna?'

_**'What?'**_

'Before, you said you were waiting for Techna, isn't she that static-head from the martial-arts team?'

_**'She's not a static-head.'**_

'Ha, yeah right.'

_**'She happens to be rather intelligent.'**_

'She can't tell one end of a wrist cannon from the other!'

_**'…She got four high-passes in local-non-powered-humanoid-studies.'**_

'Ha! Even **_I_** got four pass marks in that subject. A Mutant-Rat could pass it if it'd had half it's brain cells removed!'

_**'It's not that simple, and I never said she was my girlfriend.'**_

'But she is, isn't she?'

_**'I happen to get along with her. She's certainly more subtle than certain other trainees I've gotten stuck in Watcher-duty with.'**_

'Hey it's not my fault you went shooting off after some insane freak who decided to blow the roof in on herself AND you at the same time!'

_**'Okay, okay, I get the message… Techna's… a conversationalist. That's it. Nothing more to it than that.'**_

'Uhuh.'

_'**Do we have that settled?'**_

'We would have if I really cared.'

…

_**'This is your first year at the Academy, isn't it?' **_

'How'd you know?'

_**'Because in second year people know better than to talk to their seniors the way you do.'**_

'Really? Nah, it's my second. Sorta. Well, I kinda got held back a little.'

**_'Why?'_**

'Some stupid accident with the mining shaft about a year ago. I kinda ended up on the shock list…'

_**'…The what?'**_

'Y'know, that list thingy, where they stick all the bad knights who don't do what their commanding officers tell them to do.'

_**'Oh… you mean the Observation Register. No need to get shirty… what did you do?'**_

'It's what I _didn't_ do that pissed them off.'

…

_**'Sparx?'**_

'Something that happened in Magery Square in the Electrum Mining District… you probably know about it. It was in _The Dynamo_.'

_**'…The Magery-updraft incident?'**_

'What, they're giving it a name now?'

'**_Seventeen oxygen miners blown up in a backdraft from a leak in an energy seam that wasn't properly secured, fifty trainee Knight's drained almost to wipe out by the radiation aftershocks, of _course_ they're giving it a name…_**

'…**_You were INVOLVED in that?'_**

'No!

…Yeah. Kinda. Look, it… it wasn't like that, it was all some stupid accident. Really. I mean, we were only juniors, we weren't supposed to be in there anyway!…

Look, it doesn't matter. They got the leak closed off before things went too crazy. The shaft was shut down. Could've been worse, right?'

_**'Sixty five people wounded, two wiped and one hell of a mess in central station… sure, could've been a LOT worse…**_

'Yeah, thanks for the confidence boost.'

_**'I'm not here to pass judgement on your mistakes, Cadet. Just your ability as a Watchman… and you're losing points for lack of focus.'**_

'Hey, I'm trying to keep you focussed, can't have you passing out.'

_**'I'm not GOING to pass out… It just hurts like Zoar-knows-what having a roof fall on you, that's… all…**_

'Whatever, _Lugnutt_.'

**_'Watch it, _Amandine_.'_**

'Huh.'

_**'You were okay, then? In Magery, I mean?'**_

'Well I kinda got stuck in the shaft when everything went "boom". One of the Laser-drill's fell on me and cut through a few of the nervous-circuits in my back. Hurt like White Hot Oblivion.'

_**'Aren't those the motor neurons connected to the Flight Anti-Gravity simulator in—'**_

'Yeah, yeah I know. I heard it all from the doctors like a billion times, I don't need to hear it again.'

'_**So your flight charges were severed?' **_

'Yup.'

_**'…You can't fly?'**_

'Nope.'

_**'Oh… sorry.'**_

'Forget it. you get used to it…'

_**'There are other options besides un-powered flight, you know.'**_

'Yeah but it's not the same.

_**'It could be. Flying is flying, right? Invest in a flight-jet or something?'**_

'What, one of _those_ things? They're like, flying trash cans, you can't steer them! I only got my licence the year before and…

…Hey, Random your signal clearance is dropping, you okay?'

_**'…'**_

'Random? Random are you okay? You'd better be ignoring me.'

_**'…'**_

'Cadet to senior, come in from base thirty-two…. Thirty-two-whatever! Random, talk to me!'

_**'… Sparx? Is that you?'**_

'Ace? Ace! Oh man, am I glad to hear you, where are you!'

_**'Right here in the cavern at the last reporter coordinates. And same here, Sparx… I see you met a friend of mine.'**_

_Heh. should've known. _'Yeah… yeah I guess I did. Is he okay?'

_**'He doesn't look much better than the body lying over there, but I think he's going to be alright.'**_

'Oh. Okay. That's good.'

_**'You alright, Sparx? You sound freaked.''**_

'Me? Nah, it's all cool. No problem, he just worried me for a second there… I knew he'd be fine really.'

_**'Course you did.'**_

'Just get him out of there quick, will ya? I wanna get outta this stupid watcher booth already.'

_**'Right… we're calling the medic teams and bringing him out. You did good, Cadet.' **__**  
**_

'Thanks.'

_**'So what do you think of Watchman duty?'**_

'What do y'think I think? Duh! It's _Boring! _I dunno how people can do this for a living, it's the worse detail ever! Seriously, Ace, I need action and a Lightning juice and I need em' right now. Next time it's me in those caverns kicking evil's butt!'

'**_Not until you graduate as senior, Sparx. Until then you have another round in there tomorrow. Just to see whether or not you've been having beginners luck.'_**

'Oh… great… wonderful.'

_**'No need to sound so excited.'**_

'Whatever, Ace. Who am I in with anyway?

_**'Some girl in the upper year called Techna.'**_

'…Damn.'

End.

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**There, I'm done. Please review :) Concrit is always appreciated.**


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